Monday, November 30, 2009

Turkey Stretch












Well then maybe a few pounds or more sense turkey day and with all the left overs greens have gone by the way side.
Have stayed on track with the fat walk on Thanks Giving cause of the monsoons.But up with the sun days after and some good rides in the books.
Saturday I got in with this Clean Air team in Corvallis. There were 5 me being the 6th. So here we just barley cross the Willamette River out of town and it's go time like race mode for the next 40 miles. Being like a nubie cause I've had no pace work sense summer I was in struggle stages here and there but actually did my pulls with some gusto. I'm in shape but not for this fortitude stuff. These fellows could go too. To top this off the next day I go to Eugene again for a cross race. I'm so fortunate also with Rich Crammer who has won all the big cross crusade races and John Wilson who is almost always 1st,2nd or 3rd state wide. We line up in the 36 degree fog shrouded day with a course much like the week before but there is more mud,more rocks,extra barriers to total 7 in a row and a Little extra stretch added to the lap.
Great pace right off the line with the guy I raced with last week taking the hole shot with US three in pursuit. Our boy Allen slid out in around the 3rd turn right in front of me,that's always a little shocker.We got around him all up right and off we went away from the rest. John and Rich can hold red line in any kind of condition and terrain the full race so I was fealling that false i was and can do this for about 2 and half laps of the 4 laps then lack of their kind of endurance put me way into pain cave and loss of con tack. Oh well I know theres more work to do.




Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Keep on biken

Still excited to ride and train most the time . There has bean a moment or two when I just wanna cruise and cruise none of this interval or push it hard stuff. Lasy sin drum taking over some. It's easy for me just to joy ride and check out the beautiful country side.
I'm that stage right now were I wanna do well at Nat's but not the work or preparation part,oh well. I did race last Sunday in Eugene,the course was pretty challenging with to sand crossings.A railroad tie stacked jump. A set of 5 steep wooden stairs. Six in a row standard barriers . A rockie patch.A steep hill run or ride section and a lot of tight turned single track muddy slick corners . It also had flat bumpy grass spots with some pavement to rest the werie legs. We had 10- 50+ plus guys with 9 35 + B dudes. The start went out fast, another 50+ dude and I got away and stay that way. We trade off and went at each other the hole race.Great speed work and brush up on the tacky muddy ridden skills. I got past this Allen guy just before the finish and held it.Was totally exhausted and wanted to fall into the wet bushes and die.Guess I didn't leave anything out there.
2 days in a row with sun rays here in Oregon wow!!! It's hard on the eyes not being used to this sun ray thing but I'll take it.
So busying around Corvallis yesterday checking out a few bike shops after a ride I run into Barry Wicks who grew up here in Corvallis. He is just hanging out and doing the cir cut and as many races in Oregon as he can and prep en for Nat's. He noted that Trebon says the Bend Nat course is a cool one but there has bean snow and predicting it for Nat's. Maybe one should have the skies in the pits instead of a bike.
All for now get stretched out soon only two days tell over eat ting time. have a good one and Happy Thanks Giving to all.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Ajustment made to Oregon
















I am liken the biken scene here more all the time especially some training during the week and the temps are usually pretty bearable. What rain ? You just get to a point were you don't notice it so much.





The colors of fall are still rocken. Still many leaves to fall slide around on once in while. Some times when trying to train in a park around town I feal like I am in a bog and going no were.





I went to a beaver game the other day. Man the pack ten has the peeps in the stadium, even haven Elvis was in the house.This guy looked the real if your keepen track how old Elvis would be now.Lots of score and fun time .





I raced the last Cross Crusade of the year Sunday. it was in Barton Park and a old rock quarry. You have to be at these hugely attended races at just the right time for a short pre ride time on the coerce and I wasn't Dammmmm. It was of corce very muddy with fast sections but lots of hidden rocks like minnie mine fields for ones tires. I'm still trying to figure out the tire pressure thing with different conditions. I was running way to low for it but didn't know till race start. I got a great start being 3 rows back with 70 riders again and move up to 4th place right off and held that with a good feal about the hole thing till when start catching some of the 100 or so 35+ guys. My group of seasoned vets went threw them like butter and I was more thick lard. So quickly I lost ground but would catch back then loose again with my legs put tin on the ache. Last lap a third of the way I hit another one those pesky rocks in a dip and have low tire simdum fast.I rode it a tird of a lap to the pits and found out others had front flats leaving with an empty cube rt,dam again. Just as Ryan the Shamono guy used to work at Open Road dude figured this oout he was on with the flat filler stuff but then a tire angel brings back a front shamono tire so on with it and finish around two and half mins. down off what might bean from 4th to 9th.Crap happens but man did I have fun most of that race.

Monday, November 9, 2009

More Crasyness
















The human Thunder Dome rocked with people haging from the bars and many more chasing races with evil things in their hands.

Go time travel and fan time
















So I bean on the road a bit lately,enjoying this and hang en with family and friends. Lots of miles with many great views especially along and above the Columbia river. It can be pretty spectacular sometimes. I left Missoula with a few more stops to make before heading back to Oregon. iireally should of stayed and raced the States in Montana sounds and looks like I missed a great venue with out monsoons and mega mud bowl at the cross crusade. After it raining an inch and half the day before and most the race day. I need to get over this fobia soon. But being a intrigued supportive fan was so entertaining. here a few shots of all the circus crusade.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

West coast fun and view
















Yes to to this that





and the other thing. i spent a few days with Danyel and family in Seattle.Great riding there and the cross scene had a great coerce at Evergreen high a place I ran state cross country in the 70's oh way back anyway the coerce was easily one of the best ever for my travels and venues.Great use of the short hills and cinder track zone.





I may ed my way back to Zoo-Town for a short visit and a stock up of bike inventory. I stopped in Vantage were the bridge crosses the Columbia and found this old grade to the north that heads up and to Elensburg what a great long extended not to steep maybe 12 miles worth of up





iImay ed it over here to the vibe of Zoo and like that. Have seen a few peeps and rode with a few and drank with a few more now it's time to buck up and head back west for the next mud fest in Portland.Got to see if the flippers are working better than last outing.Happy Trails Chow...